How can we be sure that we are acting in the best interest of our mentees or supervisees? When in doubt, I always look to Jesus. Jesus was a servant leader. He led his disciples with humility. A classic example is how he washed the feet of others; he took the place of a servant because he wanted to show how he cared about the well-being of his followers. He wanted to help them feel clean…

Having a code of ethics, and then living by that code, is a mark of a strong mentor or supervisor. As a guide and caretaker of others, you set an example by reflecting on your own beliefs and becoming aware of the codes of ethics at play around you…

There are two main ways I’ve seen conflicting interests affect mentors/supervisors; one is a personal conflict of interest, and the other is a dual relationship…

As with many abstract terms, it can be hard to articulate how to maintain integrity. For me, integrity means that a person acts consistently honest and true to their morals, whether in private or in public. Think of our modern social media influencers; they may present themselves as living a perfect life while hiding their struggles and flaws. Many people often hide behind a false image of themselves, but we need to be authentic, honest and open to sharing our flaws and struggles with our mentee/supervisee when appropriate…

The idea that a mentor or supervisor should be treated with respect and dignity is far from a new or radical concept: it’s foundational to the work. Most mentors and supervisors enjoy working with others, but even the most easy-going person occasionally runs into someone they find difficult to work with. This can be because of a conflict in beliefs, attitude or actions, but a mentor/supervisor should never let this difficulty come across, and should focus on empathising with the client and helping them move forward. Within the Christian world, there is the recognition that everyone is a child of God and should be treated as such…

What does it mean to be principled in your practice? This is an essential competency for a mentor/supervisor… which we will be focusing on for the next few weeks. To be principled in practice means that you “adhere to core values and beliefs rooted in sound doctrine.” Every mentor/supervisor needs a code of conduct for their practice. There are likely already some set up for you, beginning with the legal requirements in the area you practise, including the denomination or professional association you are working within…

Occasionally when mentoring or supervising professionally in the Christian community, you will need to have a difficult conversation about theology and beliefs. Even within the Christian community, there are many differences: between denominations—for instance,Catholics and Protestants, Calvinists and Moravians all vary drastically—but there are also subtle differences even within a denomination. For example, some mentees/supervisees may believe in predestination, while others are firm believers in freewill. Every person is influenced by their own experiences and their spiritual education, which leads to many different interpretations of God’s word and will…

Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring how to confront and challenge our mentee or supervisee when it is necessary. We have mostly focused on how we, as a mentor or supervisor, can encourage our clients to open up, to speak frankly and to face difficulties in themselves and the world around them. Today, we are turning towards ourselves and how we handle those conversations…

The role of mentor/supervisor is a reflective practice. Our job is to help our clients learn to see what they are not seeing about themselves and their behaviour and encourage them to become more self-reflective on their path forward. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as holding up a mirror….